Women in Leadership: Celebrating the New Majority

Sixty-three percent of the Real Estate Webmasters leadership team are women. And in a month where we celebrate International Women’s Day, here’s why that matters to me—and why it should matter to you.

2019 is shaping up to be a banner year here at Real Estate Webmasters (REW). Our aggregate sales are approaching $150 million. Our user base is on pace for 75,000 by the end of the year. And having dominated the North American market, we are now expanding into Europe.

In an era where it’s tough for a technology company to maintain its status quo, why am I ambitious and bullish for our future? It’s because of the team at Real Estate Webmasters. We have 150 of the best and brightest employees, hard at work in Canada and the United States—and I’m grateful for their dedication to our company and our customers. But I want to talk about the leadership team, specifically those who comprise its majority: the women leaders at REW.

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Five of our eight leadership positions are filled by talented, extraordinary women: Janet Krastel (CFO), Vy Luu (Director of Product Development), Laura Monroe (Head of Industry), Laura Miller (Head of Marketing) and Allison Largue (Manager of Customer Support). These women are in these roles not to fill quotas, but because we hire the best candidates. That said, in searching out and recruiting for top talent, we do keep a purposeful eye on gender diversity.

Hiring more women is proven to lead to healthier, more dynamic workplaces. Gender diversity can mean more creative and collaborative environments, driving better bottom line results. And when your hiring practices reflect the demographics of your customer base, you provide better experiences and services.

(L to R) Laura Miller, Head of Marketing; Laura Monroe, Head of Industry; Allison Largue, Manager of Customer Support; and Vy Luu, Director of Product Development at Real Estate Webmasters

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, 63 percent of REALTORS® are women, yet women are underrepresented at the leadership table. There are some amazing women leaders like Yvette Boatwright (Realty Austin), Sara MacLennan (Liv Real Estate), Stacie Staub (West + Main Homes) and Pamela Alexander (RE/MAX Integra), but as demonstrated in annual industry lists and rankings, there is much more to be done to advocate for women at the leadership level.

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This needs to change—and it’s starting to change. Amazing initiatives like the C.A.R.’s WomenUp® program are working to inspire and support women in the real estate industry, but those of us in leadership positions can certainly do more. We should all serve as advocates and continue to press for change. While I am proud of the gender diversity on my leadership team, I also know to keep the pressure on, to continue to hire the best candidates and improve gender diversity throughout REW’s ranks.